Conveyer for slurry hose transportation system

ABSTRACT

A conveyer for a slurry hose transportation system which has a plurality of wheel-supported carts and a linkage system interconnecting the carts. The conveyer provides means for transporting the carts and slurry system through a 180* turn by lifting the wheels from engagement with the ground and directing the linkage during the 180* turn. In one form, the linkage is restrained to a particular geometry so that the hose will maintain a predetermined minimum arc, thereby preventing damage to the preferred slurry hose.

[ Mar. 4, 1975 United States Patent 1 'Tarter et a1.

2,893,540 7/1959 Freeman......................,.... 74/246 X CGNVEYERFOR SLURRY HOSE X X mow B3B3 7 7. 3 .3 H mm In ll 10 m new 2. nk E086MMDV 678 6667 9999 lHHH 26 00 0621 5755 3 347-7- 3260 ,33 3333 ow 0 iO.K, "I." m m yme m M Oak Rh E Lm T In .I S m Y rmlc S N ,W d S w H L T395d a am a R JGCD 0.. P m m m n M w T I 3 7 Primary E.\'aminerHenry T.Klinksiek [73] Asslgnee gig gg g Company Ponca Attorney, Agent, orFirm-William J. Miller [22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1973 ABSTRACT [2]] Appl.No.: 389,271

A conveyer for a slurry hose transportation system which has a pluralityof wheel-supported carts and a linkage system interconnecting the carts.The con- [52] US. 137/344, l37/355.17, 302/14,

veyer provides means for transporting the carts and slurry systemthrough a 180 turn by lifting the wheels from engagement with the groundand directing the 1 U 310 5 m 5 65 B5 3 0 9 4 m 3 N 0.0 2H 0 mh c r a eS m m mfw IF N 55 linkage during the 180 turn. In one form, the linkage302/64, l4, l5, 16; 299/18, 64; 141/279, is restrained to a particulargeometry so that the hose 280, 387, 388; 74/246 will maintain apredetermined minimum are, thereby preventing damage to the preferredslurry hose.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures2,803,498 8/1957 Touton............ 137/344 PATENTED M 4 1 SHEET 2 or 5PATENTEU 3,868,964 sum u [If 5 CONVEYER FOR SLURRY HOSE TRANSPORTATIONSYSTEM REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation ofco-pending application Ser. No. 297,113 of the same title filed Oct. 12,1972, now abandoned. Related subject matter is disclosed in ap plicationSer. No. 294,720, filed Oct. 3, 1972 now abandoned and entitled A MobileSlurry Handling System, application Ser. No. 298,118, filed Oct. 16,1972 now abandoned and entitled Slurry Hopper System; and applicationSer. No. 298,691, filed Oct. 18, 1972, now abandoned and entitledLinkage Geometry for a Slurry System.

BASIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the above-mentioned applicationSer. No. 297,1 13 an apparatus is disclosed for handling a flexibleslurry pipe or hose which is connected between a terminal and a coaldigging machine. The slurry handling system includes two hoses, one fortransporting water or other fluid and the second for transporting theslurry which consists of the mined material and the fluid mixedtogether. Transportation of the hose is provided by a plurality of cartswhich are spaced along the pair of hoses and not only supports the hosesoff of the floor of the mine but also provides mobility to the hosesalong the axes thereof. The carts are selectively controlled so that thepair of hoses will follow all movements of the coal digging machine intoand out of the room where the coal is being dug. A certain portion ofthe total length of the pair of hoses is positioned in the mine toprovide storage so that the coal digging machine can operate for anextended period of time without requiring for example, the slurry hosesystem.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for accomplishing thestorage necessary for carrying out the above-described invention. Inorder to provide an adequate length of slurry hoses in the mine, it isnecessary to bend the stored hose through a 180 loop. Since the hose isnormally quite fragile, it is imperative that the loop be closelycontrolled so that it does not become too sharp and result in failureofthe hose. To provide the above, a 180 conveyor system was inventedwhich lifts the hose system along with the carts off the floor alongwith activating the powered carts so that they can apply power to theactive portion of the slurry system. When the carts are returned tostorage, the powered carts are deactivated so that they cannot becontrolled by signals passing down the system. Mobility is provided theconveyer so that it can accomodate changes in the length of the slurryhose in storage.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART Conveyers have been used in the past formany purposes. For example, the US. Pat. to Heimaster, No. 3,301,599,illustrates a conveyer supported by wheels and connected to a minedigging machine. This con veyer, however, does not convey or providemobility to a slurry hose system but rather conveys the product directlyon the conveyer to the disposal terminal.

The US. Pat. to Eric Reichl, No. 3,260,548, illustrates a mining machineconnected through a slurry hose system to a terminal for disposing ofthe product. This patent, however, discloses hoses which arenonsupported but have a slightly greater length than necessary toconnect from the terminal to the coal digging machines. As aconsequence, some storage is provided by the excessive length of thehoses. The invention thus disclosed, however, does not take intoconsideration the excessive wear of hoses desired to be used, such ashoses which are made principally of steel reinforced rubber. These hosesmay weigh as much as pounds per foot, and movement of a hose of thisweight over the rough surface of a mine passage floor will result inearly failure of the hose. Furthermore, when the mining machine makes a90 turn, there is no way disclosed in the Reichl patent to successfullymove the hose around the turn.

None of the patents discloses a mobile slurry system where carts, bothpowered and unpowered, are connected by linkages and where a long lengthof a slurry hose is stored in the mine. The conveyer is a necessaryelement in removing the slurry system from storage, conveying it aroundthrough 180, activating the carts, and placing the slurry system in aposition where it can actively follow the mining machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS INVENTION This inventionprovides an efficient method for moving a train consisting of poweredand unpowered carts connected by a linkage and supporting a pair ofslurry hoses, through a 180 turn without overstressing the slurry hosesby stretching, excessively flexing or buckling them. The conveyerfurther has mobility so that it can follow the lengthening or shorteningof that portion of the slurry hose system in storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a schematic of the slurryhose transportation system including its connection to the miningmachine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating the method for determining thegeometrical configuration of the linkage coupling the various carts;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is atop view of the conveyer illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the conveyer shown in FIG. 4 taken throughline 55;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the conveyer illustrating the preferredembodiment of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a 90 turn utilizing the principles utilized inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the conveyer illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the conveyer illustrated in FIG. 8 takenthrough lines 99.

Referring to all of the drawings but in particular to FIG. 1, a minedigging machine 10 has the product loosened by machine 10 and picked upby a conveyer 11. The product 12 is dropped into a crusher 13, which maybe any usual type crusher such as a roll crusher or three-jaw crusher,and may include means for separating the material that does not need tobe crushed and crushing only the larger material. Crushers are wellknown and will not be further discussed. The material from the crusheris dropped into a hopper 14 which contains water. A water level control15 applies a continuous signal through line 16 to a valve 17 which isconnected to a water line 18. Another water line 19 is connected tovalve 17 and through a plurality of slots (not shown) communicating withthe interior of the hopper. The hopper illustrated herein is for thepurposes of assisting in the understanding of the invention and is thesubject matter of a patent application entitled Slurry Hopper System,previously identified.

A slurry pump has its inlet connected to the outlet 21 of hopper l4.Slurry pump 20 has an outlet 22 connected to a slurry hose 23. Anotherhose 24 is connected to water line 18. Both hoses 23 and 24 aresupported upon a slurry transportation system which essentiallycomprises a plurality of carts 25 connected by linkage 26. The variouslinks of the linkage 26' are connected together for pivotal movement ina horizontal plane. A conveyer 27 controls the movement of the carts,linkage and hose assembly around 180 turn 28. The termination-of thewater hose 24 and slurry hose 23 is at a remote terminal 29. A surfaceseparator 30 may be connected to remote terminal 29 through any wellknown system 31 such as a pipe line.

The operation of the overall system functions as follows:

As the mining machine 10 removes product 12, it is carried up byconveyer 11 and passed to crusher 13 where it is deposited in hopper 14.Pump 20 pulls the slurry mixture from the hopper and passes it into line23 where it is eventually received at a remote terminal 29, pumped tothe surface through pipe line system 31, and separated by separator 30.As mining machine 10 works in and out of the coal seam, the slurry hosemust follow these movements. Carts 25, through a servomechanism, willfollow the in and out movements of the mining machine. A portion of theslurry and water lines between the conveyer 27 and the remote terminal29 functions as a storage section. Thus as additional length of hose isneeded, conveyer 27 will move in the direction of arrow 32, shorteningthe amount in storage and lengthening the amount of hose which canpenetrate the mine room with the mining machine. In order to accomplishthe above, however, conveyer 27 must move the carts 25, including theslurry and water hoses supported by it, from a position in storage to aposition where it can be utilized by the mining machine. Conveyer 27accomplishes the transition between storage and active use by liftingthe carts upon the conveyer surface and moving the carts through 180while the conveyer itself is moving in the direction of arrow 33 whereadditional storage is needed or 32 where less storage is needed. Theconveyer also preferably restricts the hose to a definite radius,thereby preventing excess flexing or bending.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF 180 CONVEYER A detailed description of theconveyor is as follows:

Two embodiments of 180 conveyer 27 as illustrated in FIG. 1 aredescribed by referring to FIGS. 3 through 6, 8 and 9. Referring first tothe embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, conveyer 27 is formed in a180 configuration and has side panels 41 and 42. A plurality of conveyerrollers 43 are rotatably journaled between side panels 41 and 42.Tractor 44, which may be an electrically driven tractor suitable for usein mines, has a pair of arms 45a and 45b attached at one end to thetractor and connected at the remaining end to a pair of sets of rollers46a and 46!). Side panels 41 and 42 are attached to arms 45a and 45h. Adisc 47 is attached to each end of conveyer rollers 43. A small roller46: is journaled between panels 41 and 42 at each end of the conveyer toassist in supporting the conveyer on the mine floor.

Referring now to the hose hauler system adapted to utilize the conveyer,a power driven cart comprises a pair of wheels 5], a hose clamp 52, andan electric cable. clamp 53, and a motor 54. The motor 54 may beelectric and operates a hydraulic pump which drives a separate hydraulicmotor (not shown) coupled to each wheel 51. The hydraulic motors arecontrolled by suitable hydraulic motor controls. An unpowered cartdiffers from a powered cart 35 in that the unpowered cart does notcontain a motor coupled to the wheels, but does contain clamp 52suitable for rigidly holding the hoses, as well as control boxes, etc.,for proper operation of the system. Both the powered carts 35 and theunpowered carts 60 are coupled together by a combination of short 61 andlong 62 linkages which are pivotally interconnected by pins 63 forpivotal movement in a horizontal plane. The short links 61 also have ahose clamp 52 attached thereto so that the hoses 23 and 24 will beproperly anchored. Electric cables 64 (FIG. 3) are clamped in the clamps53. Cables 65 are attached to each side of the carts or linkages to actas a safety measure in case of breakage or excessive bending of theslurry hose.

OPERATION The operation of the conveyer illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5is as follows:

As the conveyer moves in either direction, the long links 62 aresupported on the rollers 43 and between the discs 47. Side panels 41 and42 are gradually inclined from the rollers 46c to the central portion ofthe conveyer, therefore, as the links 62 enter and roll up (on rollers43) the wheels 51 will be lifted from the mine floor, permitting thecart 60 or 35 to make the turn. The links 62 will be retained betweendiscs 47, restraining the linkage to the exact 180 turn, thus insuringthat the total length of links 61 and 62 will always equal the length ofthe hoses above it. The linkage is preferably designed. and such designwill be fully de scribed in a subsequent portion of the specification,so that the length of the linkage. whether lying straight or whetherlying in a 180 turn, will always have the same length as the axes of thehoses 23 and 24. The preferred design will thus prevent the preferredhoses from buckling because the linkage is too long or too short when itpasses around the 180 turn. Tractor 44 provides mobility to the conveyerby virtue of the wheels 46a and 46b and rollers 460. As previouslydescribed, the mobility will provide the conveyer with forward orbackward movement in accordance with the length of the slurry line beingutilized at the moment.

The preferred embodiment of the conveyer is illustrated in FIGS. 6, 8,and 9 and essentially comprises a center platform section 70, a firstside platform section 71, and a second side platform section 72.Attaching means 66, such as hinges, connects the platform sections tomake a unitary structure. Spring biased ramps 73 are connected to thevarious platform sections 70, 71, and 72 and provide a method for easingthe carts 3S and 60 onto the platform. An arcuate guide panel 74 isattached normal to the surface of each of the platform sections 70, 71and 72 and functions as a guide rail for the slurry system. Wheels 67support the conveyer off the mine floor and provide mobility to theconveyer. Tractor 44 is connected through arms 45a and 45b to platformsection 70.

Linkages 61 and 62 preferably have attached to each pivot point a disc75 which is journaled on the respective pin 63. Otherwise, the design ofthe linkage in this embodiment is the same as the design of the linkagein the previous embodiment described in FIGS. 3 through 5 and will befurther described in a subsequent portion of the specification.

Slots 69 (FIG. 8) in platform sections 71 and 72 provide clearance forthe linkage mechanism 61 and 62 and discs 75 when the carts aretraveling up or down ramps 73. Once the cart wheels 51 are on platformsections 71 and 70 or 72 and 70, there is adequate clearance for thelinkage mechanism and discs.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows Carts 35 and 60, whetherpowered or unpowered, and depending upon their direction of movement,will pass up spring biased ramps 73 onto platform sections 71 and 72 andacross 70. Once a disc 75 hits guide 74, the disc 75 will act as aroller, controlling the positon of linkages 61 and 62 as they passaround the guide panel. However, it is also contemplated that the discs75 may be dispensed with and the linkages 62 and/or 61 slide along theguide 74 to control the movement of the flurry system through 180. Aspreviously mentioned the length of the linkage is important, since thehoses preferably used must pass uniformally around the 180 turn or elsethey may flex or bend past their critical limit causing damage orfailure.

The powered carts are servo-controlled in a manner so that the linkage,when moving, will always be under tension and never under compression.In order to cause movement of the conveyer system, tractor 44 (throughlinkage arms 45a and 45b) will cause the conveyer to move forward orbackward as required on wheels 67. Spring biased ramps 73 will lift fromthe floor of the mine preventing the edge from digging into loose dirt.Only when a wheel 51 strikes a ramp 73 will it engage the floor andprovide a stop for the wheels 51 to be lifted from the floor.

A switch engagement means (not shown) may be used on the conveyer toturn on the powered carts 35 as they pass over the conveyer to theactive side of the system. The same medium will turn them back off whenthey pass over the conveyer to the storage side.

Attachment means 66 provides a means for collapsing or disassembly ofthe conveyer to render it easier to move. Guide panel 74 can also bedisassembled.

Referring to FIG. 7, a 90 turn is illustrated. A plate 76 has a guidepanel 74 attached to one edge. The guide panel 74 of the 90 conveyerfunctions in the same manner as does the guide 74 of the 180 conveyer,except that the 90 conveyer is fixed for each 90 I bend needed. It willbe understood that a 90 conveyer at each 90 turn required as illustratedin FIG. 1.

LINKAGE GEOMETRY In the preferred embodiment of this invention the hosefor either the slurry or the water is 1 foot in diameter, measuredacross the outside of the hose. The hose is made of rubber reinforcedwith steel. The steel prevents collapse of the hose in case a vacuumshould be pulled on the system accidentally.

One of the more important restrictions on the operation of the hosehauler vehicle system using the preferred hose is that during a turn the1 foot diameter hose must not be bent into a radius less than 5 feetmeasured to the outside of the hose. The approach chosen to insure thatthis restriction is not violated is to mount the hoses 23 and 24 on alinkage 61 and 62 which will mechanically restrain the hose from bendinginto a radius less than the forbidden value. The linkage also serves tosupport the hose between carts preventing it from dragging on the coalmine floor.

The linkage geometry must be such that the hose length and the linkagelength are equal when both are bent into a turn. The critical case isthe turn. The convenient linkage geometry to restrain the hose in thedesired radius on the 180 turn is based on a semidodecagon asillustrated in FIG. 2. Since the outside radius R of the hose bend is 5feet (maximum bend permitted for the hose) and the outside diameter D,of the hose is 1 foot, then the inside radius R, is 4 feet and the meanradius R of the bend is 4.5 feet. A length of hose in a 180 bend is then1rR,,, 14.14 feet.

From FIG. 2 the geometry is set up so that a combination of short links(L and long links (L are calculated so that the central portions of theshort links always coincide with the center line of the hose and so thatthe total linkage length between the points where the hose is clamped isalways equal to the length of the hose between the same points. Further,the hose is always clamped to the shortest links.

Referring to FIG. 2, the following equations can be written:

L ,2 R,,, tan (oz/2) L ,,2 R sin (04/2) L 12 R Sin With R,,, 4.5 feet,equations (1) through (5) may be solved by using appropriatetrigonometric identities to obtain L, 1.585 feet and L 3.127 feet.

The carts, either powered or unpowered, must occupy a short link, sincethe hoses are clamped at the carts and the hose must move laterallyacross each long link during turns to prevent damage to the preferredhose.

The preferred 1 foot diameter hose is manufactured in lengths no greaterthan 50 feet. Since the end connections are a significant component ofthe hose cost, it is desired that the length of individual hose segmentsbe as long as other restraints allow. The hose connections are made with16 inch diameter flanges and connections on the lower hose should notinterfere with those on the upper hose while connections on both shouldclear the clamping points on the short links.

Calculations show that a practical linkage design for a hose length ofapproximately 1,000 feet can form a span of four long links and threeshort links between carts occupying short links. The distance betweenaxles of the carts is then 4 (1.585 3.127) [8.85 feet. If

each powered cart is to tow two unpowered carts, and if the hose line isto be capable of being reversed (implying a powered cart at each end ofthe hose), then the total length of the linkage is divided into units of3 X 18.85 56.55 feet. If the total hose length is not to exceed 1,000feet, then 17 units of linkage of 56.55 feet will be used (with 18powered carts and 34 unpowered carts) and the total length of thelinkage will be 17 X 56.55 961.4 feet.

In order to prevent the hose flanges from interfering with one anotheror the clamping points requires that they occur at the midpoints of thelong links. Since the midpoints of the long links are spaced atincrements equal to 1.585 3.127 4.712 feet, the hose length must be inincrements of this length and no greater than 50 feet. Thus, the hoselength is 47.12 feet. If 21 lengths of hose are used each way, the totallength of hose would be 989.5 feet, which is 28.12 feet longer than thelinkage. It can thus be concluded that 38 lengths of hose 47.12 feetlong plus 4 lengths of hose of the length required to make the endconnections will be used.

The subject matter of the linkage geometry including the concept ofconnecting powered carts by a rigid linkage and clamping the hose alongthe rigid linkage in distance sufficiently close to prohibit expansionof the hose under pressure is the subject matter of a patent applicationentitled Linkage Geometry for a Slurry System, identified above.

The concept of conveying the slurry hose and carts from the storageportion to the action portion of the system rendered the slurry hosetransportation system feasible. Two embodiments are disclosed whichillustrate satisfactory methods for accomplishing the 180 turn.Modifications can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for transporting a slurry from a mining machine in a minehaving a floor. and which includes at least one flexible hose supportedby a plurality of wheeled carts spaced along the length of the hose andlinks pivotally interconnected with one another and the carts forpivotal movement in a horizontal plane, and wherein the hose is requiredto be transferred in a bend between a storage section and a parallellylocated active section as the need for the hose changes. the improvementcomprising:

a conveyer movably supporting the hose, carts and links off of the minefloor in the 180 bend portion of the hose, and

means attached to the conveyer for moving the conveyer along the minefloor parallel to the storage section of the hose as the hose is beingtransferred between the active and storage sections.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the conveyer includes aplatform extending above the mine floor to support the wheels of thecart and thereby the hose and links.

3. The improvement defined in claim 2 wherein the platform is supportedsubstantially parallel to the mine floor, and characterized further toinclude ramps extending from the platform to the mine floor arranged toengage the wheels of the carts as the conveyer is moved to move thecarts onto and off of the platform.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein discs are journaled to thelinks to turn in a horizontal plane, and wherein the conveyer includes aplatform extending above the mine floor to support the wheels of thecarts, and an arcuate guide plate protruding above the platform arrangedto engage the discs and guide the hose, links and carts during movementthereof over the conveyer.

5. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein the conveyer includes apair of parallel side panels extending substantially in a semi circlewhen viewed in plan, and rollers journaled between the side panelsarranged to engage and movably support the links and thereby the hoseand carts.

6. The improvement defined in claim 5 wherein the side panels slopeupwardly from the ends thereof for raising and lowering the links, hoseand carts moving over the conveyer.

1. In a system for transporting a slurry from a mining machine in a minehaving a floor, and which includes at least one flexible hose supportedby a pLurality of wheeled carts spaced along the length of the hose andlinks pivotally interconnected with one another and the carts forpivotal movement in a horizontal plane, and wherein the hose is requiredto be transferred in a 180* bend between a storage section and aparallelly located active section as the need for the hose changes, theimprovement comprising: a conveyer movably supporting the hose, cartsand links off of the mine floor in the 180* bend portion of the hose,and means attached to the conveyer for moving the conveyer along themine floor parallel to the storage section of the hose as the hose isbeing transferred between the active and storage sections.
 2. Theimprovement defined in claim 1 wherein the conveyer includes a platformextending above the mine floor to support the wheels of the cart andthereby the hose and links.
 3. The improvement defined in claim 2wherein the platform is supported substantially parallel to the minefloor, and characterized further to include ramps extending from theplatform to the mine floor arranged to engage the wheels of the carts asthe conveyer is moved to move the carts onto and off of the platform. 4.The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein discs are journaled to thelinks to turn in a horizontal plane, and wherein the conveyer includes aplatform extending above the mine floor to support the wheels of thecarts, and an arcuate guide plate protruding above the platform arrangedto engage the discs and guide the hose, links and carts during movementthereof over the conveyer.
 5. The improvement defined in claim 1 whereinthe conveyer includes a pair of parallel side panels extendingsubstantially in a semi circle when viewed in plan, and rollersjournaled between the side panels arranged to engage and movably supportthe links and thereby the hose and carts.
 6. The improvement defined inclaim 5 wherein the side panels slope upwardly from the ends thereof forraising and lowering the links, hose and carts moving over the conveyer.